Meet the Author

The FermentedlyChallenged blog has been retired since the end of October 2016. It has been a great 9 year run. Thanks to all the readers and brewery staff for all your support in the past. I'm living in the Denver metro area and working in the Cable TV industry now. Cheers and enjoy beer responsibly. Follow along on social media - @ChipperDave on Twitter and on Facebook.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Today is Information Overload Day. Over 25% of our work week is taken away by distractions, email, social-media, cell phones and just plain old over-information. Use today to seek out solutions to reduce the glut of information you take in on a daily basis. Take Fermentedly Challenged for instance. If you read this blog, it'll save you hours daily from trying to find the same information on the internet. If you dig hard, you can find other ways to reduce information overload. Here's what's happening around the Colorado beerosphere today Monday, October 21st, 2013. If you aren't reading this article on FermentedlyChallenged.com, you don't know what you're missing.

Arvada Beer Company (Arvada) - As part of their Anniversary Week celebration, Arvada Beer Company will be rolling out special beers all week long. Today they have their 2012 barrel-aged Wheatwine on Nitro. Oct 22nd: Cherry Sour Ale, Oct 23rd: Barrel Aged Doppelbock, Oct 24th: Sour Red Ale & Nitro Sour Red Ale, Oct 25th: Barrel Aged Maibock, and Oct 26: 2013 Wheatwine. Stop in and try each one before they are gone. Limited batches on all of them.

Great American Beer Festival (Denver) - The #GABF may be over, but you can relive some of the moments in photos. Fermentedly Challenged has posted nearly 80 photos across 4 pages of the 2013 event. See how many Colorado brewers you can find. Also, mark your calendars for next year. The festival is scheduled for October 2-4, 2014. Hope to see your there!Black Shirt Brewing (Denver) - Expansion is happening and BSB has just taken delivery of their new brewhouse equipment. This equipment joins the new fermenters that were recently received. That means even more red ales are in their future with even more distribution.

Saint Patrick's Brewing Co (Englewood) - The brewery is planning to start a barrel aging program over the next couple of weeks. One of the first beers they plan to age is their El Draque Lager. They will be aging it with coconut, then dry hop it and age it for 3 months in French oak. The result will be Malibu Dragon Lager. It will be ready around St. Patty's Day in 2014.

Wonderland Brewing Co (Broomfield) - Progress on opening their brewery continues. A big sign with a faceless smile just went up above their 3.6 acre location at 5450 W. 120th Avenue in Broomfield, CO. Last week they took delivery of 8 brite tanks, a boiler and another fermenter. They are hoping to open around Christmas, but according to them it may take a Christmas miracle to get everything ready. Stay close to their updates on Facebook or their Blog for more info.

Our Mutual Friend (Denver) - Can't get enough pumpkin beer? OMF will be releasing their pumpkin beer tomorrow, October 22nd at 2pm. It was brewed with brown-sugar-roasted pumpkin and seasonal spices. The brew is a quaffable 5.7% ABV. Get into the season with this wonderful pumpkin brew.

MillerCoors (Golden) - As part of a corporate restructuring, MillerCoors announced this week that they are cutting 360 job positions in order to "create a more balanced, efficient organizational structure, reduce costs, drive accountability, improve execution and increase speed to market". In other words, profits must be down and they've gotta cut costs. Sales of their Miller Lite and Coors Light declined more than increases seen from their "craft-style" beers.

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co (Golden) - Celebrate Halloween on Thursday, October 31st at Cannonball Creek's Halloween Throwdown. At 3pm they'll release their new Chocolate Pumpkin Porter. Then at 7pm they'll do a pumpkin carving contest. Bring in your own Jack O' Lantern and they'll light them all off side by side. The winning pumpkin receives a $25 gift certificate to CCBC. Then at 8-9pm is their Costume Contest. Prizes given to the top 3 costumes: 1st - $100 gift certificate, 2nd: $50 gift certificate and 3rd: $25 gift certificate. Must be 21+ to enter.

Big Choice Brewing (Broomfield) - Gentlemen - want a chance to win Beer for a Year and get some Free beer in the process? Enter their Movember Awareness Contest. Entry is from October 26th through October 31st. $5 entry fee which goes to USMovember.com. This contest is to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. Grow your best stache all November long and then show up to the voting party on Movember 29th and 30th. Free beer is involved for those who enter. Ask for details.

Boulder County

Sanitas Brewing Co (Boulder) - Do your part to help your neighbors who were devastated by the recent Colorado floods and come drink beer, eat food, enjoy local art, and listen to local music with Sanitas Brewing this Friday for a special fundraising event called "FLOW". It's set for Friday, October 25th from 5pm to 10pm. There will even be a silent art auction. Located at: 3550 Frontier Ave, Unit A in Boulder, CO.

Crystal Springs Brewing Co (Boulder/Louisville) - The tap room is almost finished - just some final painting, getting the top and front on the bar, hanging pictures and a few other things. The next hurdle is getting their final approvals from the city early this week. If that is successful they believe they will be ready to open the new tap room by sometime next week!They are also now brewing in their new location. They've hired three new full-time employees - Colin, Krisin and Jason and a few part-time employees - Marilyn, Dion and Nate who will be working the tap room. And by this weekend they'll have all 13 taps ready.

Northern Colorado

New Belgium (Ft. Collins) - [PRESS RELEASE] Girls' Pint Out and New Belgium Brewing Celebrate Women and Craft Beer - A casual conversation between New Belgium Brewing and beer industry writer Jennifer Litz of Craft Business Daily has resulted in a rare, one-off beer based on the flavor profile of a classic gin & tonic cocktail. Made with quinine and lime, Litz’s collaborative “Sin & Tonic” will be simultaneously tapped at eight bars across the country on Wednesday, October 23. Girls’ Pint Out, a group dedicated to fostering women’s appreciation of craft beer, will host the events and New Belgium CEO and co-founder Kim Jordan will join via live streaming video.

Jennifer Litz, who traveled to New Belgium to brew Sin & Tonic on the brewery’s 10-barrel pilot system, will also join the event online. “New Belgium was one of the first craft breweries that blew my socks off with seriously quirky and innovative brews,” said Litz. “So when we started chatting about a collaboration beer, I knew they'd be up for something completely different - like a craft take on a gin & tonic. I think the end result really tastes a little like a gin & tonic and a lot like beer. It's definitely different. And I hope it glows in the dark.”

Pateros Creek Brewing (Ft. Collins) - The big one is back. Mt. Massive, their Imperial India Pale Ale is now back on tap. This is a 8.1% ABV and 95 IBU beer. Stop in today for a pint. They are open from 3-9pm on Mondays.

Black Bottle Brewery (Ft. Collins) - Halloween falls on a Thursday this year, but you can still celebrate it on Saturday, October 26th at 8pm at Black Bottle. It's their Halloween BBBash. Wear your best Halloween costume and get your first BBB beverage for Free! They will have music with a live DJ and also Karaoke. Plus some special tappings including: Liquid Metal Pumpkin Firkin at 6pm, Red Rum Punch, Orange Social Insecurity, plus some special guest taps including Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin and Crazy Mountain's Rocky Mountain High Pumpkin Pie. Celebrate Halloween early at BBB!

High Hops Brewery (Windsor) - Stop out tonight for a special Monday night event - "Hops For Hunger". A portion of tonight's beer sales will go directly to them. There will be live music from The Lee Holiday band as well as food from the Taco Stand and Bedrock BBQ from 4-8pm. Join in!

Fort Collins Brewery (Ft. Collins) - The brewery's new 50 barrel brewhouse is now operational and they've already brewed a batch of Chocolate Stout in it. With the colder weather now hitting the area, they've decided to put their seasonal Big Shot beer in 6-packs this year. It has a nice hit of alcohol along with a sweetness to help pass the colder days ahead. Also look for Double Chocolate Stout again this season to warm your hearts.

Odell Brewing Co (Ft. Collins) - The new expansion is complete! Odell Brewing held a private Open House meeting last Saturday and showed off their new facility to a big crowd. They showed off the new brewhouse and meeting spaces, the new outer tap station and revamped and expanded outdoor patio and pergola stage. They even showed off their upcoming Woodcut No. 7 Russian Imperial Stout release and dang is it good! Fermentedly Challenged was on hand and set up a blog post showing several photos of the event and new facilities. Check it out!

Crabtree Brewing Co (Greeley) - Monday's aren't so bad at Crabtree's. They offer $3 pints all day to help you ease into the week.

Southern Front Range

Pikes Peak Brewing (Monument) - Did you know you can now get Pikes Peak beer on tap at the World Arena Ice Hall in Colorado Springs? Yup! Enjoy! Also, PPBC will be hosting a Costume Party at the brewery on Saturday, October 26th from 7pm to close. They'll have live music from Mark's Midnight Carnival Show as well. Dress in the style of the decade you were born in! Also, coming soon - a beer brewed to celebrate "Beer for Boobies" - it's a Peach Cobbler Brown Ale. Look for it soon.

Bristol Brewing Co (Colorado Springs) - Monday's are a little better thanks to their $3 flagship favorites from 3-7pm in the pub. Specialty beers are a bit more.

All Colorado Beer Festival (Colorado Springs) - The annual All Colorado Beer Festival is coming up quick on November 2nd, 2013 at the Colorado Springs Expo Center. Get $5 off your ticket using promo code HOPS. More details at www.allcoloradobeerfestival.com.

Mountains and West

All Durango Breweries (Durango) - Western Slopers! Sign up is this week for the 11th Annual Bootlegger's Society Pint for a Pint Blood Drive! Sign up booths will be at Brew Pub & Kitchen today, Durango Brewing Company tomorrow, Carver Brewing Company Wednesday, or you can hit the booth at Ska on SOUPer Thursday! The Blood Drive will be held at the American Legion Hall on the corner of 8th St and E. 2nd Ave from 11am-6:30pm this Friday 10/25. Don't be a buster, share the love! If you give a pint you'll get a pint of beer in return. Sounds like a fair trade.

Pagosa Brewing Co (Pagosa Springs) - What pairs perfectly with their award-winning Soaker's Stout? Why nothing better than with their new house-made Chocolate Nutella Cream Pie with a Graham Cracker crust. Treat yourself to one or both today.
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Colorado Beer News is published on Fermentedly Challenged daily (Monday through Friday) with craft beer stories as they break from newsletters, emails and social media sites. This news is intended for audiences of legal drinking age (21+). If you'd like to subscribe to this daily by email, sign-up here. Please, always drink responsibly and use a designated driver.